BPO Board met last week in Rostock and discussed planned changes in the financing of Transport Infrastructure in EU. These changes have been reviled by the new European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen.

The New European Commission is now in the process of preparing the EU budget reform. According to a new plan, the financing of the transport infrastructure is to be located under a single funding plan per Member State. This would lead to cutting the funding in the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), which has been an instrument to develop the transport infrastructure and meet the goals defined in the TEN-T policy. BPO believes that only having a sufficient financial instruments at EU level would guarantee the development of pan-European transport network including ports.

Moreover, new European Commission should recognize the ports as an integral part of the TEN-T policy. Nowadays, due to the geopolitical situation, the role of ports is even more important as ports pay a key role in energy security, supply of critical goods for societies and military mobility. Ports are also a facilitator of the decarbonization, not only on its own premises but also within maritime sector and industry. In order to strengthen its role in the entire EU transport network, increase competitiveness of European industries, ensure the supply of green energy, the ports need to be key sector for EU investment policies. This is even more important in a region like the Baltic Sea, where security issues are of particular importance.

BPO welcomes the statement made by the ministers for transport and infrastructure of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in September this year entailed “CEF III – a focused approach to bring the EU closer together”. It highlights the key importance that the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) has played in the funding of large-scale cross-border infrastructure projects. The ministers emphasized that CEF or a similar instrument with appropriate financing must continue in the next MFF to advance the EU’s overarching goals related to mobility and climate initiatives.

The new EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism is Apostolos Tzitzikostas. His task is to make European transport more competitive, sustainable and resistant to future shocks, and to ensure that it is safe, accessible and affordable for all EU citizens.

Bogdan Ołdakowski, BPO Secretary General commented: 'BPO expects that the new European Commission, the new Commissioner Mr. Apostolos Tzitzikostas, as well as the governments of the Baltic countries will recognize the key role of ports and guarantee an appropriate financing system at the EU level. In addition, we expect that the unique position of the Baltic ports, especially in the security dimension, will also be taken into account in the next EU budget.'

Source, BPO